SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Drury used a late first half rally to pull away from the Newman women's basketball team, which dropped a 79-56 decision to the Panthers Monday evening in front of 1,022 fans inside the O'Reilly Event Center. Philicia Kelly led the Jets with 14 points in the loss.

Newman (6-3) gave Drury (5-4) all it wanted through the first five minutes. A Celeste Key jumper with 15:58 to play gave the Jets an 8-7 lead. Drury countered with back-to-back treys from Ja'Nell Jones and Bethanie Funderburk to take a 13-8 lead by the 15:10 mark. That was answered by a 6-1 Newman run capped by another Key lay-up that tied the game at 14-14 with 12:26 to play. Again, Drury pushed the lead back to five, leading 21-16 with 10:20 to play after another Jones jumper, and again, Newman countered with four-straight points, including an Alex Adekunle lay-up that pulled the Jets to within one, 21-20, with 7:57 remaining in the first half.

This time, Drury had the final answer. Two-straight free throws by Drury's Sara Jane Plemmons sparked an 18-0 Panther run that allowed the hosts to take a 39-20 lead after two more Plemmons free throws with 2:25 still to play. Newman finally broke its scoreless drought with back-to-back free throws by Nikita Norwood, but Drury ended the half on a 6-3 run to take an indrumountable 45-25 lead into the break.

It didn't get any prettier in the second half. A Norwood lay-up on Newman's first possession pulled the Jets back to within 18, 45-27, but turnovers on three of Newman's next four possessions allowed the Panthers to take a 27-point, 54-27 cushion. Drury pushed that lead to as many as 32, 66-34, after a Casey Carroll jumper at the 13:01 mark, then cruised to the 79-56 win.

Philicia Kelly's 14 points paced the Jets in the loss. Kelly finished with 14 points, six assists, five steals, and four rebounds. Nikita Norwood and Rhea Codio were Newman's other double-digit scorers. Norwood finished with 11 points and three rebounds, while Codio posted 10 points and three assists before fouling out in just 24 minutes.

Ja'Nell Jones and Casey Carroll each scored 16 points to lead the Panthers.

With the loss, the Jets fall to 6-3 on the season. They will return to action Saturday, traveling to NAIA foe Peru State for a 2 p.m. contest.